Fluid pump



FLUID PUMP Filed March 23, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l J. T. HUME Dec. 4, 1934.

FLUID PUMP Filed March 23, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet `2 ,w N m v A Patented D ec. 4, 1934 FLUID PUMP John T. Hume, Chicago, Ill., assignor 'to Electric Household UtilitiesCorpox-ation, Cicero, Ill.; a

corporation of Illinois Application March 23, 1933, Serial No.'6(i2,207

. f 2 Claims. (Cl. 10S-113) My invention relates to improvements in fluid pumps, particularly in that class of pumps employed in connection with ,domestic washing ma- 'chines for discharging-water from the tubs or 5 transferring-from one tub to another. 4

One of the objects of my invention is.torelieveV thevpump of air pockets or accumulations which interfere with the action of the pump on the flow of water therethrough, a further object being to `l() provide a simple, inexpensive means for automatically removing from the pump casing any accumulation of air which may enter the pump with the water and destroy the suction of the pump by building up air pressure which prevents water from entering the pump.

Other objects. of my invention will appear hereinafter. A y Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a view, partly in section' and partly in elevation, of a pump system for domestic washing machines, a portion of a drainboard of the washingmachine and the associated' drain and discharge pipes connected with the pump being shown;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view substantially on. the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detail section substantiallyon the line 3-'3 of Fig. 2.

My invention Ais illustrated in connection with a centrifugal pump of a type employed for discharging water from the tubs of domestic wash- ,ing machines and their associated wringers 'or clothes squeezer mechanism. The pump comprises a housing A having aA chamber 1 therein,

dially disposed vanes 3. The central-portion i of the disc-like member is cone-shaped and partly denes the shape of the Vpump chamber. One side of the pump housing is formed by a removable cover ,or plate member 5. having a centrally disposed bearing' for the shaft 'Z which supports and drives the pump element. The shaft '7 is connected to any suitable driving mechanism. Usually, inwashingmachines the pump is driven through a belt from the main motor of the machine (not shown) and the pump element is designed to be rotated at a relatively `high rate of speed.

The pump has a discharge outlet 8 which contains a passage communicating tangentially with the peripheral portion 9' of the pump chamber 1, 4and this discharge outlet is connected with a suitable nozzle'for directing the pumped fluid wher- 55 ever desired, as will be hereinafter explained.

withinl which rotates a pump element 2 compris-- ing a disc-like member having one or more ra` The intake or inlet 10 of the pump is centrally disposed with relation to the housing and corn--` municates directly with the pump chamber 1.

These pumps are generally disposed beneath the -tub` of the washing machine as shown in the drawings, and; although the washing and' wringer or squeezer tubs are not shown,A a portion B of the machine is shown which is intended to represent the trough or drainboard which co1- lects the water from the wringer mechanism. The drainboard is shown above the pump and is generally arranged to drain the water from the wringer or squeezer adjacent the top thereof.

A vertically disposed standpipe 15 conveys the water from the drainboard B to the pump, the upper end of the standpipe being connected by means of a suitable joint ,with the drainboard B and communicating with the drainboard through va number of drain openings 16. Itv is also customary to provide a drain communicating with 715 the bottom of the washing tub so that-the' tub can be emptied as desired. 'I'his bottom drain is A represented by the tubular hose or pipe 1'7.

'Ihe discharge outlet of the pump is connected to another vertical pipe 18, the upper end of so which is provided with`a swinging nozzle or faucet 19 which may be swung around to direct the discharged water as desired. In the structure shown, it is desirable to dispose the discharge pipe 18 within the standpipe 15 and to extend it above 35 the drainboard sufcient for mounting the swing faucet. The lower ends of the standpipe 15 and discharge pipe 18 are connected with an elbow comprising a casting 20 having formed therein the two passages 21 and 22. The upper ends of 90 these passages are concentric while the lower ends terminate in separated bosses 23 'and 24. The boss 24 is connected to the discharge outlet 8 of the pumpby means of a suitable flexible hose member 25, andthelower boss 23 of the el- 95 bow is connected by a suitable hose member 26 with an inlet 27 of a valve housing 28.' i

The'valve housing 28 also has anotherinlet 29 which is connected with the, .bottom drain 17 of the tub. .The passages of both inlets 27 and 100 29 of` the valve housing communicate adjacent each other with a valve chamber 30 in which a vertically disposed valve member 31 is provided. This valve member is operated by a handle 32 and can be rotated to close ofi either or both inletqog, members 27 and 29 from the pump as desired..l The valve housing has an extension 33 forming a passage 34 extendingfrom the valve chamber 30 and communicating with the inlet opening of the pump, this extension being ilanged and is also drawn into the pump.

bolted `to the pump housing to serve as a con-- vement means of mounting the valve housing. Thus it will be seen that water can be conducted to the pump either from the drainb'oard B or the tub or both, as desired. The water -ilows through the valve chamber and passage 34 and into the pump. Ordinarily, the passages conveying wa-- suillcient, however, to fill the passages, air will also be' drawnthrough these passages and into the pump. This condition is likely to occur more particularly in connection with the water drained from the drainboard B of the wrlnger due to the fact that water` is not as a rule squeezed out of the clothes fast enoughto completely ll the 'standpipe and passages to the pump; instead, the water tricklesdown through these passages and only partly 1111s them, with the result that air tThe accompanying air frequently becomes trapped or pocketed.v

in the pump chamber and is suilicient not only to destroy the vacuum or suction tendencies of the pump, but also to create a slight back pressure which tends to hold back or retard the waterentering the pump with the result that the A water is' not properly circulated through the pump and discharged from the outlet thereof.

In order to overcomethis diillculty. means are provided for relieving the pump of this accumulated airand the back pressure created thereby,. vand\this means comprises a separate passage or `bypass communicating directly with the interior of the pump chamber, preferably adjacent the central portion of the -pump element where a vortex action is likely to occur. The by-pass passage in the present structure is formed by a small tube or pipe 35, as'shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, mounted in the extension' of the valve housing and-extending into the pump chamber through the inlet 10 thereof, to a point closely adjacent the central cone-shaped portion 4 of the pump element and the path of the vane 3. 'Ihe end of this tubeis open so that any air pressure carried into the pump with the water and tending to accumulate within the pump chamber. will venter the inner end 3,6'of the tubular passage 35 and by 'virtue .of slight pressure established in the pump chamber will discharge through this pas- 'sage 35. In practice "1 have its outer end that the air from the pump chamber will bel open to the atmosphere so' discharged there'om. Occasionally drops or small quantities of water, however, might also enter the relief passage 35 and .discharge there- "from into the atmosphere, and this may not bex desirable under some conditions. For this reason, I prefer to connect the tubular member 35 with the passages leading from the drainboard at a point beyond the valve chamber so^ .thatany waterd which enters the reiiegpassage 35 will be with thestandpipe l5.

-As shown more clearly in Figs. 2`and 3,tl1ris is accomplished 'in the present structure by formingv the separate passageways 37 and 38 in the valve directedback into the passage communicating .housing extension 33 and the valve housing`28 this tubular member may v vfluid to said valve chamber, a valve in municating passage 43 in which a seat for a ball check valve member 44 is provided. 'The ball check valve acts to permit the flow of water or air from the tubular relief passage 35 into the inlet 27, but checks or prevents the ow of water or air in the reverse direction towards the relief passage 35. This check valve provision is made so that in theevent that the water owing toward the pump completely fills the passages and no air enters the pump, the water will be prevented from flowing through the by-pass and relief passage into the pump. However, when the water is trickling through the passages to the pump and these`passages are at the same time partly lled `with air, then the air pressure within the pump chamber will be relieved by the flow of air through the relief passage into the inlet 27 todischarge' this air into said passage, the pressurein this direction being suillcient to move the check valve ball from its seat. In practice the several passageways forming the by-pass are formed in the metal of the housing by drilling from the 4outside, but the drilling ends `of these passages are lclosed by the screw plugs 45.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the construction, operation andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is understood that I contemplate such changes as fall fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

. I. claim:

A 1. The-'combination of' a pump including a housing having a pump chamber therein and a discharge outlet, a casting forming an elongated passage in communication with the pump chamber for conducting fluid to the pump chamber, a pump element in said pump cham- Iber acting to circulate uid therethrough, means forming in ay separate passage in said casting hav- 'ting `the flow'of air from the pump lchamber through said passage to the inlet passage.

2. 'I'he combination of a pump housing having .a chamber therein and an outlet therefor, and a rotary ,pump element therein, a housing forming an elongated inlet passage for the pump communicating with the interior thereof and having afvalve chamber, said housinghaving means forming connections for a plurality of `sources of Jsaid. valve chamberv controlling the ow of uid fromsaid .sources tothe pump inlet passage, means in said housing farming an independent passagel extendinto communication at one end with the pump chamber' and at its other ed with one lof said fluid connections at .a point-beyond saidv valve chamber, and a check valve in said ,independent passage permitting'the flowof air in saidl independent passage from the pump-chamber only. JOHN 1. HUME. 

